Why the Failing US Post Office is Hiking Up Rates…and 9 Surprising Realities to Stop the $50 + Billion Bailout and Make Mail Delivery Great Again

President Trump has a historic opportunity to save the American taxpayer from a $50 + billion bailout … and turn the failing postal service around.

The current postal monopoly is dysfunctional.

Why? Because of…

Politicians

Unions

The Postal Bureaucracy

Hostility and ignorance from all of the above about the importance of direct mail used by thousands of businesses

Here are nine frightening realities about the post office…and what must be done to save taxpayers and consumers from a massive bailout.

Reality #1: The United States Postal Service (USPS) has lost $65.1 billion…that’s right, billion…in the last ten years.

This year, the post office is reporting $2.7 billion in losses over the last year, less than $5.6 billion from the previous year…but still a massive loss that taxpayers will have to pay for.

The huge, inefficient, corrupt bureaucracy did not make any payments of the $6.9 billion due to the government in unfunded pension and benefits liabilities.

In fact, the post office has lost money every year for the last 11 years.

Part of the reason for this is that less people rely on first-class mail now, as they pay their bills online.

Another part of the post office’s debt is legislation that has required the post office to prefund 75 years-worth of retiree health benefits.

The whole system is unsustainable, but the post office keeps doing things wrong.

Reality #2: Under President Obama, the entire system has become a joke.

The post office is run by the Postal Board of Governors. Nine members are appointed by the President and approved by Congress. Also, the Postmaster General and Deputy Postmaster General are on the board—a total of 11. The governors advise the postal service on management, can fire the postmaster general and more. They also approve rate hikes.

The board must have six members to have a quorum. Currently, they only have two members: the Postmaster General and the Deputy Postmaster General. The other nine seats are vacant.

Why?

One US senator—most likely Bernie Sanders (I-VT)—is holding up any nominations because of the postal unions. No new governor has been appointed since 2010.

President Trump has nominated three people to service on the board, including the agency’s former inspector general, but the seats are still vacant…leave the USPS to make decisions in their own self-interest.

In fact, the Board of Governors has taken full advantage of this circumstance. Without a quorum, the Board established three new rules out of thin air:

Hiring, firing, and postal rates could be decided without a quorum.

No specific number of governors are needed to make decisions.

A “Temporary Emergency Committee” has been established giving the Postmaster General and his top staff complete authority.

It’s absolute authority with no oversight or accountability.

So, without a quorum, the post office hiked rates anyway on January 20th, 2017, hurting itself in the long run, harming businesses who rely on the mail to generate sales—and jobs.

And now they plan to hike them in 2018, without legal quorum.

Reality #3: The Postal bureaucracy is archaic, resistant to change.

Overstaffed, fighting automation and resistance from powerful postal worker unions, the postal bureaucracy has become wasteful and inefficient. They make decisions not based on market need and business reality, but what pleases bureaucrats, unions, and politicians.

Reality #4: The Postal Service is a government-protected monopoly in need of competition.

Monopolies don’t work, especially the monopoly bureaucracy. Only choice and competition can create efficiency and progress. If the auto industry, computers (including email and texting), and eye surgery were bureaucratic monopolies, their products would very expensive, second-rate, and immune from positive change.

Indeed, if the horse and the buggy industry were protected just like the post office, we would be riding horses instead of high-powered cars. We would have giant computers like in the 1960’s, not iPhones in every home. We would have government-approved glasses, not Lasik.

The United States Postal Services has tried to stop innovations and advances in postal delivery.

Years ago, the post office tried to stop UPS, FedEx, and other private delivery services. Fortunately for businesses and consumers, the government monopoly failed. Then the USPS tried to control email. But fortunately for businesses and the consumer, they failed.

Reality #5: Post offices have fallen by the wayside, and are in desperate need of repair…creating even more debt.

Nationwide, post offices are a wreck.

Even the USPS Office of Inspector General has said that the majority of facilities nationwide violate security and building measures. And nearly half of them violate cleanliness and maintenance guidelines.

Many buildings have been found to be infested with mold, bugs, or rodents, and even have foliage growing inside the facility.

Plus, most post offices do not even maintain a customer complaint log…meaning that most issues go unresolved and unacknowledged.

Although the Postal Service has started to drop post offices inside of retail outlets like Staples, the USPS government employee union doesn’t like them…just one more proof of an inefficient and stubborn bureaucracy that refuses change, resisting the needs and wants of the consumer.

Reality #6: The Post Office can’t be controlled by Congress.

Much of the dysfunction is caused by the United States Senate and House.

Individual members prevent the closure of inefficient postal facilities, the hiring of good people, and implementation of technical improvements.

Politicians want to please their union donors rather than allow the marketplace to work.

Reality #7: The Postal service plans to increase postal rates…bad for thousands of businesses.

The Postal service’s solution to its massive debt is to hike up rates 34-41% over the next five years…without approval from Congress.

Only a government agency can increase rates independently, without responding to the market- an inefficient and expensive move that benefits the agency and hurts consumers.

But commissioners of the postal service have decided to override the law’s inflation rates…ignoring the principles of the free market.

The proposal includes the following measures:

The usual rate increases that are tied to changes in the Consumer Price Index will continue (anticipated at 2.05% over the next 5 years).

An additional 2% increase would be added to rates of all “market-dominant” mail, including First Class and Standard mail.

Furthermore, an additional 2% increase would be added to mail that doesn’t cover its own cost (including many newspapers and magazines).

Another 1% increase over the next 5 years will occur if the post office can meet specific efficiency and service goals.

Once compounding occurs, these rates will add up to an overall 34-41% increase, depending on how well the post office meets its goals.

These price hikes aren’t permitted under the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, which is the major law that governs the Postal Service.

This colossal increase in prices would hurt thousands small and large businesses who rely on direct mail, and also hurt magazines and newspapers.

The increase would be lower than average for magazines that use co-mail, and higher than average for less efficient mailers.

The latest hike is a huge job killer—and the post office, the consumer and business are the victims.

The final vote on this measure will occur in March of 2018….giving all interested parties time to fight against this destructive change that would further hurt consumers and the economy.

Reality #8: The Post Office is like Obamacare – Let’s Repeal and Replace

The proposed change by the postal service means continued inefficiency, massive debt…and more measures that hurt consumers and weigh heavily on taxpayers.

There’s a better solution for the massive multi-billion-dollar debt of the postal service.

Like Obamacare, a repeal and replace system must be established for the USPS. A well-planned transition is needed.

The dysfunction can’t be fixed without major, immediate reform.

My clients won’t send as much- and some, any- direct mail with the coming hike. They will lose new clients and experience less revenue from existing clients. The clients’’ prospects won’t get their special offers. They lose a great product. And, instead of the post office generating revenue, the post office won’t get any.

Bad policy. Less mail. No revenue. Everyone loses.

Reality #9: The solution to the USPS mess is competition and choice.

The USPS is hurting the American economy and jobs….and it’s hurting taxpayers.

Trump has gotten a good start by nominating three new individuals to the Board of Governors.

But there’s still more to be done.

Here are further steps President Trump must take so that everyone wins:

Work non-stop and quickly to make changes. Ignore the bureaucracy, unions, and politicians.